Ashes of a Fairytale
by kitsuneasika
Summary: Witches didn't deserve happily ever afters. SoraNamine, MarluxiaNamine, SoraKairi, mentions of ReplikuNamine.


This was written for Ren's birthday, which was at the beginning of the month. Sorry about that!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts  
**Pairing(s**): Sora/Namine, Marluxia/Namine, Sora/Kairi, mentions of Repliku/Namine.

--

It's just another sunny afternoon in her clearing when he rides up. He's riding a gallant steed, like all princes seem to do.

She can feel cool gloves on her arm as she's led to the window. And she pulls the shutters out, leans on the sill, and calls out to the prince.

"E-excuse me!" her quiet little voice rings through the clearing, and the prince turns. He's shocked at first, but then he smiles. A brilliant, kind smiles, and her heart aches.

Or it would of.

"Hey!"he calls out, and the horse gallops towards the cottage. The cool black gloves tighten their grip on her arm.

"Could you please help me, prince?"she asks, and the grip relents-- slightly. She wishes that the prince could see those cool black gloves, could see that something is _very wrong_.

He looks troubled at those words. "What's wrong?"he asks, stepping off of his horse. "How can I help?" He steps closer to her windows.

"I'm an enchanted princess,"she lies through a deceiving smile. "I can't leave this cottage unless a prince comes, and shares a True Love' First Kiss with me."

He looks more troubled now. "I'd love to save you,"he confesses,"but I already have someone."

Her missing heart leaps for joy before _he_ clenches it with those cool black gloves. She chokes, and he steps forward in worry.

"Are you alright?"he asks, and she can see the concern he has for her. "Is there anything I can do?" He really is kind, she thinks, before _he_ whispers in her ear. Ensnare him.

"Could you pick that little yellow flower besides you?" she asks. "I'm...ill, and I need to brew some tea from it everyday." Another lie.

"Of course!" His face brightens up, filled with relief that he can do _something_, and leans over to grasp it. And as everything in _his_ garden has an adverse effect, he collapses into a heap, fast asleep.

--

He lays on her bed now, in his deep sleep, and she draws. She goes through his memories, one by one, and learns about him. Reshapes him.

His name is Sora, and he loves Kairi. His best friend is Riku, and he's too kind and honest for his own good.

Carefully, she fades out this Kairi out with blacks, and blurs the red of his heart to include her. It's easier then it should be, and she knows why once she sees this Kairi in his memories.

She's her Other,

_He_ chuckles at her gasp, muttering _Don't you remember? Every Nobody has a Somebody._

--

He wakes up soon after she's done, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Namine?"he asks, a note of surprise in his tone, and she nods, smiling her fake-happy smile.

"Yes,"she says. It's best to keep things simple, and the cool black gloves stroke her cheek in approval.

"I haven't seen you in years!"he exclaims, and extends his hand, stroking where the cool black gloves just were. He fingers the ends of her hair. "You look different. Your hair is shorter now."

This time, she can't stop her smile from being bittersweet. He reminds her of the last prince, noble and kind. That was when she lived in that tall tower, and he cried, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair!"

But _he_ hadn't approved of that one, and so all her hair had been sheared short as he climbed to meet his princess.

She could still see him falling, his pretty silver hair whipping around his face, hear him scream as _his_ thorns scratched out his eyes.

It's not a pleasant memory.

"What's wrong?"Sora asks, and she lies again.

"Nothing."

Princesses don't lie.

--

"Why him?"she asks as soon as he sleeps, and she is alone in the white white room _he_ made for her. It takes all the courage in her timid little body, for she is deathly afraid of him, but she asks anyways.

"Don't question me, little witch princess,"he replies as he materializes before her. The words sound affectionate, but the tone is anything but that. She knows most people won't be scared of him at first sight, with his layered rose-pink hair, but she knows better then to underestimate Marluxia.

"Everything's according to plan. Just ensnare him."

Then he kisses her, anything but gentle, and she thinks back to the hundreds of True Love's First Kiss she's had.

--

"Where are we?"he asks her the next morning, when he's gotten over his shock of seeing her (never before) again.

"My home,"she lies, twisting her hands in her dress. "I found you in the garden after a storm. I think your horse spooked and left."

"Goofy would never abandon me!"he exclaims, and she has to smile at the name-- only for it to disappear when she remembers it was _him_ who took that horse away.

"He was just scared-- I'm sure he'll return,"she makes a promise-lie, and he grins.

"You're the best Namine!"he exclaims, and she can hear the echo of Kairi's name.

He's not talking to her. He only thinks he is.

--

He wants to leave as soon as he's recovered from the effects of the yellow flower. (Specially grown in _his_ garden, and the only flower that _he_ allows her to have.) She says no, and works to contrive excuses.

But a week passes, and he insists he can't leave his father and friends and kingdom alone much longer.

He asks her to come with him.

For a moment, she forgets. She forgets that she's not his True Love, that she's conjured up his memories. She forgets that they have to be where _he_ wants them at all costs.

She forgets, until those cool black gloves wrap around her throat, and clench at her missing heart. She gasps, doubling over, and Sora is right there besides her, like a good true Love and prince should be.

"What's wrong?"he asks, and she tells him-- not the truth of course, but the same lie she told him in the beginning, in a time when there was no Namine in his heart.

He believes her, of course, and is determined to rescue her. She tells him, "You need to wait. This...this spell takes time to break." And she hates herself a little more with each lie she speaks.

"I'll save you, I promise,"he says, and she thinks of a little redhead girl chasing after her two best friends.

--

The days fly by, and months pass. It surprises her that _he_ would continue _his_ game this long-- most princes only lasted a week.

At days Sora would ask her, "When?" and she tells him, "Soon." and then he makes her laugh and talks to her and tells her what's happened since she's left. Sometimes, he pauses in the middle of a story, confused, and it's then she knows that Kairi was a part of this story, and she was too sloppy with her removal.

At nights, Marluxia comes, reminding her of what she must do. He makes her tremble, breaks her up into tiny little pieces, then puts her together again-- never quite the same. Some nights, he sleeps with her, and she's left staring at the wall until sleep claims her.

Until one day, the routine changes.

She's about to retire to her room for the night, when he grabs her hand and pulls her to him. He kisses her, sweet and gentle, like many of the other True Love Firsts Kisses she's had before. And she feels guilty, dirty, knowing from her shifting of his memories that this really is the real deal for him-- except she's not his True Love.

She's not Kairi.

_He_ whispers in her ear, and so she leads him to his room, telling him she's his True Love and this is what will break the spell. She dives deeper into the lie, and wonders when she will drown.

He's as sweet and kind as he is with everything, but in the end she's still staring at the wall, still wishing she was Kairi.

--

The next morning they leave, with _him_ whispering to her the way she needed to go. Her heart is heavy, or it would be if she had one. Sora worries about Goofy, and she reassures him that he must of found his way home.

It's already afternoon when it happens. She doesn't know what she did wrong, but the next moment the cool black gloves clench at her throat, and she is doubled over, choking. Vaguely, she notices the green green grass staining her white white dress, and Sora besides her, completely scared out of his mind _for her_. She wonders if _he's_ done with her, and if now she must fade.

"Who are you!?" Sora shouts when the cool black gloves let go, and for one terrifying moment she thinks that her spell has broken. Then she realizes that he has materialized behind her.

Sora helps her up, and stand protectively before her. "Who are you?"he demands again, his eyes narrowed, and for the first time it hits her that he's powerful as well. A weapon materializes in his hand, and her eyes widen in shock.

"You should be more careful, keyblade master,"Marluxia says, and she finally understands what she's been doing for all these years, ever since her being was pulled out of the shadows.

"Wha-- who are you?"Sora repeats.

"It's over, Namine," is all that _he_ replies, and Sora looks at her for one brief second before turning back as this fairytale shatters.

"Leave her alone!"he demands, just like a prince should, and she begins to tremble.

_He_ chuckles, and she knows _he's_ amused. "Still so clueless? I suppose the little witch princess has done her job."

"What do you me-- that's not true!"Sora protests, then looks back at her, eyes full of trust. "Right, Namine?"he asks, more softly now.

To his and her surprise, she's crying. "I'm sorry, Sora,"she whispers. "I'm only a witch."

"But-- we knew each other as kids! I promised to protect you!"

"I...planted that memory in you. Your memories are lies,"she confesses, hating herself a little more with each word. She wasn't a princess, she was a witch, and the witch always falls to a miserable end.

Marluxia speaks to him, and Sora yells back, but she doesn't hear because she's shaking and tears are running down her cheeks and she wishes everything would just end.

The scythe almost hits her, but Sora blocks it, and her eyes widen. "Why?"she whispers, and Sora smiles that brilliant smile at her.

"Because I promised to protect you."

And so she watches them fight, hears the metal clashing and feet colliding with the ground. She knows what she needs to do.

"Marluxia!"she yells, louder then she's ever been, and _he_ looks at her in surprise-- she's never called _him_ by name. She barely was able to _speak_ to _him_.

Then Sora drives the keyblade through him.

She doesn't watch as he fades away, isn't able to bring herself to see his face as those cool black gloves disappear. _He's_ gone.

Then he's before her, grinning widely. "Come on!"he says, and extends his hand. She can tell what he's thinking, that the bad one is dead and now the prince and princess can live happily ever after.

He's wrong.

"I can't,"she tells him. "I'm a Nobody _of_ a princess, not _a_ princess. I'm Kairi's Nobody." She knows he won't recognize the name, but she needs to tell him the truth after so many lies.

"Is there anyway you'll come?"he asks her, desperately. She smiles, a real smile.

"Yes."

Immediately he brightens up, looking exactly like a puppy given a treat. She smiles even more, and then places her sketchbook in his hands-- his firm, loving hands.

"Burn this,"she tells him. "Then I'll be there-- always be there."

He starts the fire as quickly as he can, struggling a moment with the breeze, never questioning her motives. Then he tosses the pad in. The pages catch fire quickly, and as they crumble to ashes she can feel herself becoming lighter.

"Namine!"he cries out the moment he sees the light. "You promised you'll come home with me!"

The light's getting brighter, but she's manages to tell him, "And I will be there. I'll be waiting."

And as the ashes drifted into the sky, carried by the breeze, she fades away.

And Sora remembers.


End file.
